Published every Two Months. Sponsored by an International Group of Theosophists.
Objectives: To disseminate the teachings of the Ancient Wisdom. To uphold and
promote the Original Principles of the modern Theosophical Movement, as set
forth by H.P. Blavatsky and her Teachers. To challenge bigotry and superstition
in every form. To foster mutual understanding and co-operation among all
students of Theosophy, irrespective of their affiliation.
EDITOR: Boris de Zirkoff.

None of the organized Theosophical Societies, as such, are responsible
for any ideas expressed in this magazine, unless contained in an official
document. The Editors are responsible for unsigned articles only.

*

A
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER ...

"If Theosophy had done nothing else, it would have made a demand
on human gratitude in placing the truth and falsehood of ... psychic
experiences, unfoldments, or delusions as the case might be, plainly
before the people, and explaining their rationale. It showed a plane
of manhood, and proved it unassailably to a number of persons, which
transcends any powers or capacities of the inspirational psychic who
may imagine himself or herself to be a messenger to the world at large.
It placed personal purity on a level which barred out nine-tenths of
these claimants from all thought of their presumed inheritance, and showed
that such a condition of purity, far transcending any popular ideal of
such virtue, was the absolute and all-essential basis of spiritual insight
and attainment. It swept the ground from under the feet of those poor
men and women who had been listening to the so-called messages from the
angels, that they were the chosen of heaven, and were to accomplish world-wide
missions ... Wherever Theosophy spreads, there it is impossible for the
deluded to mislead, or the deluded to follow. It opens a new path, a
forgotten philosophy which has lived through the ages, a knowledge of
the psychic nature of man, which reveals alike the true status of the
Catholic saint, and the spiritualistic medium the Church condemns. It
gathers reformers together, throws light on their way, and teaches them
how to work towards a desirable end with most effect, but forbids any
to assume a crown or sceptre, and no less delivers from a futile crown
of thorns. Mesmerism and astral influences fall back, and the sky grows
clear enough for higher light. It hushes the 'Lo here! and to there!'
and declares the Christ, like the kingdom of heaven, to be within. It
guards and applies every aspiration and capacity to serve humanity in
any man, and shows him how. It overthrows the giddy pedestal, and safely
cares for the human being on solid ground. Hence, in this way, and in
all other ways, it is the truest deliverer and savior of our time." -
H.P. Blavatsky, Lucifer, Vol. VI, July, 1890, pp. 381-82. [3]

"... and all of you be mutually at one with each other, and be
clothed with humility. For the Divine repels those of arrogant mind,
and bestows its riches upon those of humble heart." - I Peter, v,
5.

The potency of the Future lies hidden in the dynamic actuality of die
Present.

The Challenge of the present moment, and our response to it, determine
the course of forthcoming events, as they unroll from seed to fruitage,
from cause to ineluctable effect.

The mid-point of any periodic cycle, whether on the scale of a lifespan,
of a century, or of a cosmic age, is the time when the seeding takes
place for the succeeding cycle, and when the foundation-stones are laid
for future structures which will be reared in due course of time.

And the Challenge of the present moment is very great. It is a time
to be welcomed by all students of mystic lore; an era eagerly awaited
by those whose hearts and minds are dedicated to the spiritual service
of the race, and whose personal and temporal interests have become subservient
to the nobler objectives of Universality and the Oneness of all Life.
To those whose hearts beat in unison with the greater heart of Mankind,
this is an age of untold opportunities; to those whose horizon has expanded
to embrace centuries of human striving and growth, this is an era in
which more can be done within one yearly cycle than in a hundred years
of another cycle of less dynamic nature and slower gradient.

The world-wide unrest and mounting confusion are but outward symptoms
of the growing dissatisfaction over existing forms of life. It is a rebellion
of the human nature against the crystallizations built in former years
by a policy of exploitation and crass indifference to the needs of man.
And this state of muffled or open struggle is not to be measured by mere
outbreaks of violence in this, that or another part of the world, or
the vociferous pronouncements of demagogues. The "warfare" is
of the Mind, and the struggle is a struggle of ideas upon the inner battlefield
of the soul of man wherein are decided at all times the greatest and
most vital issues of both mind and heart.

The sympathies of the student of Theosophy are with all the people,
everywhere upon this Earth of ours. He makes no distinction of nationalities,
customs, historical background, ethnic grouping or avocation, though
he recognizes these as contributing factors of human complexity and behavior.
To him mankind is one great family, and the continents and nations but
individual and closely interconnected portions of One World. To him the
struggle which is taking place in our era is a fundamental conflict [4] which
must be recognized in its true light, namely, as a symptom of growing
consciousness and of widening sympathies. The student of the Ancient
Wisdom may, and definitely does, condemn many of the unwise and partially
selfish manifestations assumed outwardly by this inner struggle in various
portions of the Earth; but this does not militate against the basic idea
that the causes behind the struggle are fundamentally sound and reflect
the greater consciousness of man in its often faltering attempts to assert
itself in the outer scheme of being. We must never forget that there
exists a wide divergence between basic causes and motivating impulses
on the one hand, and their temporary and outward form built by the yet
unevolved and relatively weak personality of man. It is paramount, therefore,
that we try and understand these basic causes and the ideas back of them,
and overlook, if at all possible, the often ugly symptoms and by-products
of this deep-seated condition, which is a condition of growth and awakenment.

Before our world-wide unrest settles even relatively into a new and
nobler way of life, it will have to become organized and coherent around
some great, basic, inspiring and regenerative principle of ethics,
without which no enduring change for good can ever take place. We will
have to renounce our ways of doing things, no matter what may
be the motive, and espouse other ways more conducive to human understanding
and co-operation. We will have to give up the preposterous idea that
other people on whatever side of the imaginary fence we may be are all
wrong or all stupid, and that our ways of doing things are the only ways
which can possibly be sound. This philosophy of separation in a cause
which aims, paradoxically enough, at building a greater civilization
for all to live in, defeats its own purpose and nullifies our best plans
for the future. We are all guilty of this, every nation without exception;
we have all been bitten by this bug, and the poison of it runs high in
our veins. The challenge of the era imperatively demands of us that we
relinquish this method of procedure; that we renounce once and for all
our self-opinionated attitude, our self-righteousness and our ugly pride,
individually and collectively.

Ordinary common sense (one of the most uncommon of senses in people!),
everyday logic, and plain, garden-variety intelligence (not intellectuality!)
is sufficient to show that we cannot achieve peace, good will and mutual
understanding by stock-piling atom bombs on either side of the fence,
manufacturing war implements for future carnage, or growing fat and rich
by means of building up a complex of mutual fears, and systematically
organizing outbreaks of [5] a few, to the moral degradation of
the many. This is the surest road to national and international suicide,
and an excellent prelude to the lunatic asylum.

And let no one imagine that he is wholly excluded from this diagnosis.
The overwhelming majority of the human race, irrespective of categories
or sides, is infected with this virus, which must be driven out by means
of mental and emotional cathartics appropriate to the condition at hand.

And the greatest of these cathartics is a sense of humility and reverence
for all life. Yes, humility and reverence! The growing
sense of the awesome mystery of being, of the unfathomable depths of
the human heart, of the immensity of potential knowledge, of the insignificance
of one single human life compared with the unplumbed depths of the Universe
and the vastness of Nature. And the awakening within the human breast
of a deepening realization of the nobility of that greater Life, the
inherent justice of Universal Law, and the undreamt of potentialities
within each human being, whose personal insignificance before the unknown
is matched only by his paramount spiritual significance as an atom of
the cosmic structure, at home everywhere.

In the midst of the prevailing mental and emotional instability, facing
a world of material insecurity and confusion, the Theosophist has a noble
and lofty duty to perform, a mighty example to show, an example which
few of us, if any, will be able to live up to. But we must try! It is
to carry with us wherever we may be an atmosphere of calm detachment,
deep spiritual serenity, and warm sympathy for the souls of men; a pacifying
influence which soothes ruffled feelings, quiets emotional outbursts,
widens the consciousness of those we meet, and brings into their life
new ideas of solidarity and good will towards others. We are challenged,
and we are called upon, to bring unity where discord has its roots, to
point out the fundamental oneness of all men where the impassioned diatribes
of demagogues have sown separation and mutual distrust, and to contact
all life with those deeper heart-feelings whose roots lie hidden in the
Eternal, whose strands are woven with the mystic tapestry of the Universe.

Only when true humility and deep reverence awaken within the collective
breast of a distraught mankind, only then can we hope to discern the
growth of that mutual understanding, from nation to nation, and from
people to people, above all existing barriers, frontiers and barbed wires,
which will give rise to the new Continent of Thought upon which will
be reared the coming Civilization of the One World.

May we not respond whole-heartedly to the Clarion Call of the day! [6]

The outward form of idolatry is but a veil, concealing the one Truth,
like the veil of the Saitic Goddess. Only that truth, being for the few,
escapes the majority. To the pious profane, the veil recovers a celestial
locality thickly peopled with divine beings, dwarfs and giants, good
and wicked powers, all of whom are no better than human caricatures.
Yet, while for the great majority the space behind the veil is really
impenetrable - if it would but confess the real state of its mind - those,
endowed with the "third eye" (the eye of Shiva), discern in
the Cimmerian darkness and chaos a light in whose intense radiance all
shape born of human conception disappears, leaving the all-informing
divine PRESENCE, to be felt - not seen; sensed - never expressed.

A charming allegory translated from an old Sanskrit manuscript illustrates
this idea admirably:

Toward the close of the Pralaya (the intermediate period between two "creations" or
evolutions of our phenomenal universe), the great IT, the One that rests
in infinity and ever is, dropped its reflection, which expanded
in limitless Space, and felt a desire to make itself cognizable by the
creatures evolved from its shadow. The reflection assumed the shape of
a Maharaja (great King). Devising means for mankind to learn of his existence,
the Maharaja built out of the qualities inherent in him a palace, in
which he concealed himself, satisfied that people should perceive the
outward form of his dwelling. But when they looked up to the place where
stood the palace, whose one corner stretched into the right, and the
other into the left infinitude the little men saw nothing; the
palace was mistaken by them for empty space, and being so vast remained
invisible to their eyes. Then the Maharaja resorted to another expedient.
He determined to manifest himself to the little creatures whom he pitied
- not as a whole but only in his parts. He destroyed the palace
built by him from his manifesting qualities, brick by brick, and began
throwing the bricks down upon the earth one after the other. Each brick
was transformed into an idol, the red ones becoming Gods and the grey
ones Goddesses; into these the Devatas and Devatis - the qualities and
the attributes of the Unseen - entered and animated them.

This allegory shows polytheism in its true light and that it rests on
the One Unity, as does all the rest. Between the Dii majores and
the Dii minores there is really no difference. The former are
the direct, the latter the broken or refracted, rays of one and the same
Luminary. What are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, but the triple Ray that
emanates directly from the Light of the World? The three Gods with their
Goddesses are the three dual representations of Purusha the Spirit, and
Prakriti - matter; the six are synthesized by Svayambhuva the self-existent,
unmanifested Deity. They are only the symbols personifying the Unseen
Presence in every phenomenon of nature. [7]

AVATARAS

"The seven [regions]* (* In every ancient cosmography
the universe and the earth are divided into seven parts or regions.)
of Bhumi, hang by golden threads [beams or rays] from the Spiritual central
Sun [or 'God']. Higher than all, a Watcher for each [region]. The Suras
come down this [beam]. They cross the six and reach the Seventh [our
earth]. They are our mother earth's [Bhumi] supporters [or guardians].
The eighth watches over the [seven] watchers." Suras are in the
Vedas deities, or beings, connected with the Sun; in their occult meaning
they are the seven chief watchers or guardians of our planetary system.
They are positively identical with the "Seven Spirits of the Stars." The
Suras are connected in practical Occultism with the Seven Yogic powers.
One of these, Laghima(n) or "the faculty of assuming levity," is
illustrated in a Purana as rising and descending along a sunbeam to the
solar orb with its mysteries; e.g., Khatvanga, in Vishnu-Purana (Book
1V.). "It must be equally easy to the Adept to travel a ray downwards," remarks
Fitzedward Hall (p. 311). And why not, if the action is understood in
its right and correct sense?

Eight great Gods are often reckoned, as there are eight points of the
compass, four cardinal and four intermediate points over which preside
also inferior Lokapalas or the "doubles" of the greater Gods.
Yet, in many instances where the number eight is given it is only a kind
of exoteric shell. Every globe, however, is divided into seven regions,
as 7 x 7 = 49 is the mystic number par excellence.

To make it clearer: in each of the seven Root-Races, and in every one
of the seven regions into which the Occult Doctrine divides our globe,
there appears from the dawn of Humanity the "Watcher" assigned
to it in the eternity of the AEon. He comes first in his own "form," then
each time as an Avatara.

INITIATIONS

In a secret work upon the Mysteries and the rites of Initiation, in
which very rough but correct prints are given of the sacramental postures,
and of the trials to which the postulant was subjected, the following
details are found:

(1) The neophyte - representing the Sun, as "Sahasrakirana" "he
of the thousand rays" - is shown kneeling before the "Hierophant." The
latter is in the act of cutting off seven locks of the neophyte's
long hair,** (** See Judges xvi, again, where Samson, the symbolic personification
of the Sun, the Jewish Hercules, speaks of his seven locks which, when
cut off, will deprive him of his (physical) strength, i.e., kill the
material man, leaving only the spiritual. But the Bible fails to explain,
or rather, conceals purposely, the esoteric truth, that the seven locks
symbolize the septenary physical or terrestrial man, thus cut off and
separated from the spiritual. To this day the High Lamas cut off during
public consecrations a lock of the hair of the candidates for the religious
life, repeating a formula to the effect that the six others will follow,
when the "upasaka" is READY. The lock of hair or tonsure of
the Roman Catholic priests is a relic of the same mystery-idea.) and
in the following - (2) - illustration, the postulant's bright crown of
golden beams is thrown off, and replaced by a wreath of sharp ligneous
spines, symbolizing [8] the loss.* (* No need of explaining that
Sanjna - pure spiritual conscience - is the inner perception of the neophyte
(or chela) and Initiate; the scorching of it by the too ardent beams
of the Sun being symbolical of the terrestrial passions. Hence the seven
locks are symbolical of the seven cardinal sins, and as to the seven
cardinal virtues - to be gained by the Sakridagamin (the candidate "for
new birth") they could be attained by him only through severe trial
and suffering.) This was enacted in India. In trans-himalayan regions
it was the same.

In order to become a "Perfect One," the Sakridagamin ("he
who will receive new birth," lit.) had, among other trials,
to descend into Patala, the "nether world," after which process
only he could hope to become an "Anagamin" - "one who
will be reborn no more." The full Initiate had the option of either
entering this second Path by appearing at will in the world of men under
a human form, or he could choose to first rest in the world of Gods (the
Devachan of the Initiates), and then only be reborn on this our earth.
Thus, the next stage shows the postulant preparing for this journey.

(3) Every kind of temptation - we have no right to enumerate these or
speak of them - was being placed on his way. If he came out victorious
over these, then the further Initiation was proceeded with; if he fell
- it was delayed, often entirely lost for him.

These rites lasted seven days.

ON CYCLES AND MODERN FALLACIES

The Hermetic axiom has been made good by astronomy and geology. Science
has become convinced now that the milliards of the heavenly hosts - suns,
stars, planets, the systems in and beyond the Milky Way - have all had
a common origin, our earth included. Nevertheless that a regular evolution,
incessant and daily, is still going on. That "cosmic life-times
have began at different epochs and proceed at different rates of change.
Some began so far back in eternity or have proceeded at so rapid a rate,
that their careers are -brought to a conclusion in the passing age. Some
are even now awaking into existence; and it is probable that worlds are
beginning and ending continually. Hence cosmic existence, like the kingdoms
of organic life, presents a simultaneous panorama of a completed cycle
of being. A taxonomic arrangement of the various grades of animal existence
presents a succession of forms which we find repeated in the embryonic
history of a single individual, and again in the succession of geological
types; so the taxonomy of the heavens is both a cosmic embryology and
a cosmic paleontology." (World Life, p. 539.)

So much for cycles again in modern orthodox science.
It was the knowledge of all these truths - scientifically demonstrated
and made public now, but in those days of antiquity occult and known
to Initiates alone - that led to the formation of various cycles into
a regular system. The grand Manvantaric system was divided into other
great cycles; and these in their turn into smaller cycles, regular wheels
of time, in Eternity. Yet no one outside of the sacred precincts ever
had the key to the correct reading and interpretation of cyclic notation,
and therefore even the ancient classics disagreed on many points. Thus,
Orpheus is said to have ascribed to the "Great" Cycle 120,000
years' duration, and Cassandrus 136,000, according to Censorinus (De
Die Natali, [9] Chron,
and Aston. Fragments.). Analogy is the law, and is the surest guide in
occult sciences, as it ought to be in the natural philosophy made public.
It is perhaps mere vanity that prevents modern science from accepting
the enormous periods of time insisted upon by the ancients, as elapsed
since the first civilizations. The miserable little fragment torn out
from the Book of the Universal History of Mankind, now called so proudly "Our History," forces
historians to dwarf every period in order to wedge it in within the narrow
limits primarily constructed by theology. Hence the most liberal among
them hesitate to accept the figures given by ancient historians. Bunsen,
the eminent Egyptologist, rejects the period of 48,863 years before Alexander,
to which Diogenes Laertius carries back the records of the priests, but
he is evidently more embarrassed with the ten thousand of astronomical
observations, and remarks that "if they were actual observations,
they must have extended over 10,000 years" (p. 14). "We
learn, however," he adds, "from one of their own old chronological
works ... that the genuine Egyptian traditions concerning the mythological
period, treated of myriads of years." (Egypte, I,
p. 15.)

We must notice and try to explain some of these great and smaller cycles
and their symbols. Let us begin with the cycle of Mahayuga, personified
by Shesha - the great serpent called "the couch of Vishnu," because
that God is Time and Duration personified in the most philosophical and
often poetical way.

It is said that Vishnu appeared on it at the beginning
of every Manvantara as "the Lord of Creation." Shesha is the
great Serpent-Cycle, represented as swallowing its own tail - thence
the emblem of Time within Eternity. Time, says Locke (On the Human
Understanding) - Time
is "duration set forth by measures," and Shesha sets forth
evolution by symbolizing its periodical stages. On him Vishnu sleeps
during the intervals of rest (pralayas) between "creations";
the blue God - blue because he is space and the depth of infinity - awakens
only when Shesha bends his thousand heads, preparing to again bear up
the Universe which is supported on them. The Vishnu-Purana describes
him thus: "Below the seven Patalas is the form of Vishnu, proceeding
from the quality of darkness, which is Shesha, the excellences of which
neither Daityas nor Danavas can fully enumerate. This being is called
Ananta [the infinite] by the spirits of Siddha (Yoga Wisdom, sons of
Dharma, or true religion), and is worshiped by sages and by gods. He
has a thousand heads, which are embellished with the pure and visible
mystic sign [Svastika]; and the thousand jewels in his crests (phana)
gives light to all the regions. ... In one hand he holds a plough* (*
An emblem referring to the "ploughing" and sowing the renewed
earth (in its new Round) with fresh seeds of life.) and in the other
a pestle. ... From his mouths, at the end of the Kalpa, proceeds the
venomed fire that, impersonated as Rudra [Shiva, the 'destroyer'] ...
devours the three worlds" (ii. 211).

Thence Shesha is the cycle of the great Manvantara, and also the spirit
of vitality as of destruction, since Vishnu, as the preserving or conservative
force, and Shiva as the destroying potency, are both aspects of Brahma. [10] Shesha
is said to have taught the sage Garga - one of the oldest astronomers
in India, whom, nevertheless, Bentley places only 548 B.C. - the secret
sciences, the mysteries of the heavenly bodies, of astrology, astronomy
and various omens. Shesha is so great and mighty, that it is more than
likely he will some day, in far off future ages, render the same service
to our modern astronomers. Nothing like "Time" and cyclic changes
to cure sceptics of their blindness.

But Occult truths have to contend with a far more blind foe than science
can ever be to them, namely, the Christian theologians and bigots. These
claim unblushingly the number of years lived by their Patriarchs some
four thousand years ago, and pretend to prove that they have interpreted "the
symbolic predictions of scripture" and have "traced the historic
fulfilment of two of the most important of them" - handling Biblical
chronology as reverently as though it had never been a rehash of Chaldaean
records and cyclic figures, to hide the true meaning under exoteric fables!
They speak of "that history that unrolls before our eyes a record
extending over six thousand years" from the moment of creation;
and maintain that there are "very few of the prophetic periods whose
fulfilment cannot be traced in some parts of the scrolls." (The
Approaching End of the Age)

Moreover they have two methods and two chronologies to show those events
verified - the Roman Catholic and the Protestant. The first relies on
the calculations of Kepler and Dr. Sepp; the latter on Clinton, who gives
the year of the Nativity as A.M. 4138; the former holds to the old calculation
of 4320 by lunar, and 4004 by solar years.

*

ON
BEING BROTHERLYHarold W. Dempster

H.P.B. has stated that one should have a "brotherliness for one's
co-disciple." The chief object of the Masters in establishing
a formal Society for the promulgation of the doctrines of the Ancient
Wisdom was to create the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood among men.

It is difficult to understand why students of the same Teachers and
the identical basic ideas have wandered so far away from these two
very important points.

Perhaps, each individual or group feels that he is right; that it
is a matter of 'principle'; that we have the Truth, the real Truth
and the others do not; that the Masters are working through us but
not through others of equal sincerity, devotion and intuitive perception.

Whatever we may think, or think that we know, the fact remains that
an attitude of friendliness and brotherliness should exist between
students of the same Wisdom.

But, perhaps our concepts of the same Wisdom differ widely on some
points. Even if this be true, it should not be a valid reason for building
up enmity between those who differ.

No one has the power, not even the Masters themselves, nor Super Beings
beyond them, of divorcing anyone from that Truth-Movement of the Ages
that ever exists as a natural part of the Universal structure.

Societies and individuals come and [11] go, but Truth remains
forever. It is true that concepts of Truth change, according to an
individual's understanding and degree of growth, and that is natural
and good. It does not mean that such an individual's concept is correct
in relation to the Truth itself; but it is True to that individual
at the time and therefore is very real to him, even to the point of
cutting off his relationships and associations with others who may
differ sharply with him on certain points.

While it is natural for differing points of view to exist between
us, I have often wondered why we can not be big enough and broad enough
to allow each one to see the matter as it appears to him, without becoming
enemies.

Where is the consistency of subscribing to the central idea of 'Brotherhood,'
while at the same time stirring up animosity toward our fellow-seeker
after the same Truth? Whether we like it or not we are all brothers
constituting the human race; and our actions will speak louder than
words on the subject.

All Nature is One, with a natural diversity of its respective parts.
But, all of the parts belong to and constitute the whole Unit. There
is an interplay of action and reaction between all the parts. This
is the Karma of the Universe. To have an inner feeling that we are
related to everything else and everything is related to us, produces
an inspiration that lifts us out of the realm of pettiness and sweeps
us forward with the harmonious currents of the Universe. We feel at
one with all, at least to some degree, and recognize our inter-relatedness
to and with each other. This is Brotherhood.

Master K.H. declared that, "The Chiefs want a 'Brotherhood
of Humanity', a real Universal Fraternity started; an institution which
would make itself known throughout the world and arrest the attention
of the highest minds." (Mahatma Letters, p. 24.) Wise leadership
inspires confidence, amalgamates, unifies, brings diverse units closer
together without interfering with the freedom of action of each. A
spirit of real fraternity is the natural outgrowth, and the cause of
Brotherhood is enhanced accordingly. The world is in great need of
this type of leadership.

There are some interesting passages in The Mahatma Letters to A.P.
Sinnett that are worth quoting here:

"The term 'Universal Brotherhood' is no idle phrase." "Strong
will creates and sympathy attracts." (M.L., pp. 17, 20.)

"If you are willing I will send you an Essay showing
why in Europe more than anywhere else a Universal Brotherhood,
i.e., an association of 'affinities' of strong magnetic yet dissimilar
forces and polarities centred around one dominant idea, is necessary
for successful achievements in occult sciences. What one will fail
to do - the combined many will achieve." (M.L., p. 20.)

"A genuine, practical Brotherhood of Humanity where all will
become co-workers of nature, will work for the good of mankind with
and through the higher planetary Spirits ..." (M.L., pp.
23-24.)

Words might be helpful to make clear what we mean
by our concepts [12] of
Brotherhood, but they are at best very inadequate. Brotherhood is a feeling ...
an inner heart-touch with the Oneness of all life, reflecting itself
from the Heart of Nature into our hearts ... emanating compassion
to all others ...

If you think that we have not reached the point where we are qualified
and ready to "work for the good of mankind with and through the
higher planetary Spirits", then let us strive each day
to experience in some degree the realization of the ONENESS of all
which we live, then the Solar System, and from there on into the Super-Galaxies
of ALL SPACE.

But, perhaps you will think this is too abstract. All right. Use whatever
method seems best for you. Some find it in the hearts of their fellows,
some in the flowers, others in art, music or literature, or even in
the little insignificant events of the day. The important thing is
that you find it, for then Universal Brotherhood will become real to
you.

*

DEATH:
A NEW LIFESven Eek

Many people on the threshold of death often appear strangely different
to their families. It is not merely a question of decline in physical
strength, or a loss of memory, due to an enfeebled mind; there is
something else. A peculiar change is taking place; the once charitable
eyes no longer sparkle with the wit of olden days, nor do the forbearance
and genteel manners seem the same; even harsh and irritable words
are sometimes spoken. There must be a deeper reason for this, as
it has plagued so many families and caused so much unhappiness to
people who have not understood the mysteries of death.

Death is a complete breaking up as far as the physical body is concerned,
but it is only sleep for the higher ego which now enters upon a new
plane of life. The old body was no longer a fit temple for it to
dwell in, so it gradually withdrew, long before the last breath was
actually taken. The body became more and more of an automaton, continuing
its life by force of habit, but the beloved friend was already gone,
eagerly waiting for the new adventures which lay in store for him.

The various world religions which came on the scene of human existence,
ushered in by one of the great teachers such as Krishna, Zoroaster,
Orpheus, Moses, Gautama the Buddha and the Christ, were interpreted
by their followers according to their cultural and intellectual development
and ability to grasp transcendental truths. Man is a composite being.
Fundamentally he is a divine spirit, immortal and part of the Soul
of the Universe, but he is also a human soul struggling to bridge
the gap between itself and its highest principles. This is a process
which requires a long series of re-births on this globe, until the
soul has acquired the knowledge and the strength to merge with its
higher self, enriched by the experiences of its many incarnations.
Lower down the scale we have the [13] astral and semi-physical
elements which in the history of many lands have appeared as doppelgangers,
wraiths and 'dear departed ones' so often seen by friends and relatives
shortly after the passing of the physical body. The Catholic Church
has retained the teaching of a purgatory which it has inherited from
the ancient mystery-teachings. The meaning of this is the freeing,
the sloughing off, of the more material elements of the composite
being after death, to enable the soul to wing its way into the cosmic
spheres which are its real home. The passions, lusts and desires
are earthbound and can, no more than the purely physical life-atoms,
rise to the portals of the sun.

When the earthbound parts of the entity have been cast off, it becomes
one with all that is spiritual throughout the universe; it finds
its loved ones and soars into a state of bliss which is beyond our
power of expression or understanding. The joy is so supreme that
were we fully to realize it, we would never sorrow for those who
have passed beyond the limitations of life here on earth. We would
rejoice in their glory and wait with confidence for the time when
we shall be able to rejoin our loved ones in their unalloyed bliss
which one day will be ours as well.

The ancient Egyptians as well as the Peruvians used to embalm and
mummify their dead, in the belief that when the soul is ready to
reenter the body it would find the old vehicle waiting for it, unsullied
by the use of other beings. It is this mistaken teaching which the
Catholic Church, without perhaps realizing it, has retained in its
prohibition against cremation.

The bonds between members of the same family and between true friends
are strong, just as strong as are the bonds forged by hatred and
envy. We have the power to decide now whether we shall have friends
or enemies in the future. Make good friends now and you will have
them not merely for this life but in lives to come. The phycho-spiritual
attraction between human beings will outlast time and space. For
love is eternal.

*

PROMOTION FUND

Sincere thanks to all those who have remembered of late our Promotion
Fund. This Fund is of great help to us in meeting current expenses.
We gratefully acknowledge below the following contributions, received
from June 1st to August 1st, 1952: F.L. $0.50; F.V. $3.50; P.W.D.
$5.00; R.P.H. $8.50; E.S.W. $1.50; J.J.L. $22.00; A.B.D. $1.00; V.M.
$0.50; P.W. $0.50; L.C. $0.50; E.H. $0.50; E.L.N. $2.50; W.H.L. $0.50;
N.B. $3.50; B.H. $3.50.

*

INCREASING THE CIRCULATION
OF "THEOSOPHIA"

The Editorial Offices would
welcome receiving from our subscribers and friends lists of names
and addresses of people in their respective
towns, or elsewhere, who may have "leanings" in the direction
of Theosophy. We would send them sample copies of the magazine
with a subscription-blank attached. Considering the many cities
in the country our newspaper goes to, we should be able to get
several hundred new names, if our friends help as by sending them
in. This would be a real help! [14]

*

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ...

Theosophia would
welcome receiving from subscribers and friends any Questions they may
like to ask regarding the teachings of the Ancient Wisdom and their application
to daily life. Any type of Question is welcome, with the exception of
subjects bordering on political or sectarian matters, or organizational
and personal differences. - Editor.

I have met some Theosophists who were using liquor almost daily.
Is this not against their own teachings?

We have met some also. As long as they were trying to outgrow this lethal
habit, and were making strides in this effort, they deserved encouragement
and sympathy. In those few cases where no effort was being made, ignorance
of facts involved was probably the main cause of this condition. We all
have many shortcomings and limitations, but if we are willing to consider
dispassionately the facts of nature, we will acquire the necessary tools
with which to rise above these limitations and to overcome them.

There are in nature substances of various kinds which have the peculiarity
of absorbing the lower and more material magnetic and psychic fluids
of those people who handle them. Alcohol is one of such substances, and
it is easily saturated by the evil magnetism of the people who prepared
it for usage. This in itself is a very regrettable thing. Alcohol also
has a peculiar affinity with certain portions of the brain substance
and the nerve-fluid, a fact not yet recognized by official science. The
usage of alcohol results in the progressive degeneration of some of our
brain tissues and nerve-cells. This differs, of course, from one person
to another, but no one can escape the deleterious effect of alcohol,
provided it has been imbibed over a period of time. The effects are gradual
but cumulative, and the physical body becomes greedy for it, establishing
a habit difficult to break.

What has been termed above "evil magnetism" is not a mere
abstraction. In the light of the teachings of the Esoteric Philosophy,
this means certain types of elementals, and this again means certain
living, conscious entities of the astral world. They are closely associated
with this, that, or another of the grosser and more animalistic tendencies
in human psychology. They animate many of the lower thought-forms of
man. [It should also be borne in mind that there are many elementals
of the most elevating type, conducive to high and noble thoughts and
feelings.] By using alcohol, a man surrounds himself with these astral
entities. As a matter of fact, he does more than that.

Those unfortunate human beings who have either died from drink, or become
totally insane, have populated the lower sub-planes of the astral world
with a great many semi-conscious astral forms and moulds which are of
the same nature as themselves. These entities are attracted to those
who are affected by the desire for drink, and hover around them; they
even penetrate into their own astral constitution, whenever an opening
presents itself. The full truth about this condition has never been told.
Suffice it to say that it is possible for depraved astral entities, human
and sub-human, to partially satisfy their own lust for alcohol by vicariously [15] possessing
living human beings addicted to the vice, and by hovering around places
where there is traffic in alcohol.

The student of Theosophy is trying to purify his organism, and to become
more sensitive to higher and more elevating influences; he is hopeful
of attaining in due course of time to a condition when some of the now
dormant or latent portions of his brain structure will begin to respond
to influences from above, or from within. This can never be achieved,
or even approached, as long as there exists even the slightest presence
of alcoholic fumes, and their concomitant elemental energies, in the
aura of the student, let alone the actual organs of his physical make
up. And these influences continue to exist for a while, even after the
complete cessation in the actual usage of alcohol. Purification is not
a matter of a day or a week, but takes time.

It should be distinctly borne in mind that the amount of alcohol used
by any student is not an important factor in this equation. The far more
important factor is the degree of his psycho-magnetic sensitivity. As
he progresses forward along various other lines of growth, he becomes
more and more sensitized. A markedly reduced amount of alcohol may have
on him then an effect more deleterious and destructive than a far larger
amount at an earlier stage. The only true course of action is to quit
using it altogether, once and for all, if true spiritual growth is desired,
and an inner strength without weak spots.

Quite apart from the above occult facts, there is involved
in this entire subject the question of ethics. Alcohol is not only a
debilitating drug. It is also "big business," a business in
which many Governments the world over are engaged on a tremendous scale.
Income is derived, both by the salesman and by his Government, from an
occupation resulting in the gradual moral decay of millions of people,
and the existing scheme of taxation (with slight modifications from one
country to another) makes this traffic in human degeneracy appear lucrative
in the extreme and well worth pursuing. As pointed out by H.P. Blavatsky
(Lucifer,
Vol. V, Nov., 1889, p. 195.): "... it is not so much the Karma
of the nation, as that of their respective governments, whose Karmic
burden is growing heavier and more terrible with every year. This curse
and universal incubus, drink, is the direct and legitimate progeny of
the Rulers; it is begotten by their greed for money, and FORCED by them
on the unfortunate masses ..."

Like so many other dire social evils of this age, the misuse and abuse
of alcohol is deeply rooted in economics. Take away the profit that is
in it, and the power vested in monopolies controlling it, and you will
have won more than half of the battle!

"'I understand that The Theosophical Society is absolutely non-political.
But if it teaches spiritual and ethical doctrines, do you not think
it your duty to take an interest in politics in order to raise the
general ethical standpoint?'

"I don't think that this is quite a fair question; for, as individuals,
we do take a normal human interest in politics - except myself. I don't
like politics at all! I don't like to waste [16] my time. But
let me ask you a question: Would you involve yourself in something which
is outside your line of activity, merely in order to show somebody that
you are doing what you are actually doing? In other words, should we
Theosophists abandon our Theosophical work in order to go and tell the
politicians what we think they ought to do, meddling in their business
and forgetting our own, abandoning our own line of activity? No!

*

"We Theosophists go into the homes through our teaching; we go
by our teachings into the hearts of the politicians - if we can - and
we shall reach their hearts some day; and our regenerating work is done
there, in men's hearts, therefore from within and not from the outside.
There is your answer. Change the men; change the hearts of men, and you
won't need to talk about refashioning your politics, or about elevating
your politics. That is what we Theosophists are doing, or trying to do." -
G. de Purucker, in Questions We All Ask, First Series, No. 17,
January 21, 1930, pp. 257-58.

*

ANCIENT WISDOM

The Chinese are noted for their
wisdom. One Chinese visiting the U.S.A. for the first time, was taken
to the racetrack by a friend. After a few
races had been run, he got up to leave. His American companion protested: "Where
are you going? It isn't finished yet!" to which the Chinese replied: "In
our country we proved twenty centuries ago that one horse can run faster
than another."

*

FRIENDSHIP TIES

Many students of the Ancient Wisdom in European countries, and elsewhere,
are eager to establish a correspondence contact with students in the
U.S.A. This is particularly true of Young Theosophists who welcome new
ideas and would like to exchange letters (both in English and in other
languages, if desirable) with similarly inclined young people in various
parts of the world. This is a wonderful opportunity for establishing
new links of friendship and theosophical comradeship.

Take for instance, Young Theosophists in present-day Germany, where
the entire stock of Theosophical literature was destroyed some years
ago. They are doing courageous work in rebuilding their devastated country,
and in sowing the seeds of spirituality wherever possible. Their Director
is Michail Alexander (Jungfernstieg 10, Rendsburg, Germany), a most energetic
young man, who would welcome both correspondence from abroad and any
Theosophical literature, for translation and distribution. Among other
Young Theosophists, we will mention: Miss Edith Lauppert, Kaiserfeldgasse
19-I, Graz, Austria; Miss Pirkko Hynynen, Maneesik, 2 A, C 34, Helsinki,
Finland; Mr. Phan-chon-Ton, 4, Square Rapp, Paris 7e, France. The Federation
of Young Theosophists in Europe publish a magazine called Enthousiasme,
with English-French-German text.

How about starting corresponding with some of these fine people?
We will give you other names and addresses in the next issue.

DISCLAIMER: Due to our limited resources the
absolutely clear license to use this issue of "Theosophia" has
not been fully established. We are operating under a well founded
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